It’s enjoyable. It’s a form of eco-friendly transportation. It’s exercise (and even an Olympic sport). It’s inexpensive—awesome entertainment. And it’s an unparalleled way to experience a place and to connect with your community.
It’s walking.

Now, with its 112-year history, the Hennepin Canal Parkway seems a natural for its latest chapter—as a “gateway trail” in the nearly 4,000-mile Great American Rail-Trail, a cross-country route planned by Rails to Trails Conservancy (RTC) to stretch across the United States, from Washington, D.C., to Washington State.

With several landmark trail networks in progress, the State of Maryland is poised to serve as a nationwide example for other states. Marylanders are increasingly recognizing the benefits of trails for health, transportation and economic development. And many communities in the “Old Line State”—whether in the I-95 corridor’s suburban and urban areas, the fields of the Eastern Shore or the mountainous Western panhandle—are developing trail master plans and investing in trail networks.

This year’s Opening Day for Trails is going to be one of the best yet, as people across the country officially kick off spring by hitting their favorite pathways (or new ones!). Below are just 13 ways you can celebrate Opening Day in your own neighborhood and beyond.

Welcome to Nebraska’s tallgrass prairie, a rapidly disappearing ecosystem that Nebraskans are racing to preserve—and they hope to do just that with a new corridor and trail: the Prairie Corridor on Haines Branch.

As you might have read in our initial blog post, we hosted a trail design happy hour on Jan. 31 at Monument City Brewing Company to talk about the southeast section of the Baltimore Greenway Trails Network. We showcased the great work being completed by one of our newest coalition partners, the American Institute of Architects Baltimore – Urban Design Committee (AIA UDC), in addition to inviting the city departments of Planning and Recreation & Parks to share information on their respective efforts to create a greener Baltimore. By the end of the happy hour, we counted close to 100 people from all over the city who showed up to learn about our recent progress and how they can get involved. This event was so successful as a direct result of our overwhelming community support and our incredible co-hosts at the Southeast Community Development Corporation (CDC)!

Walkers and bikers on the Jones Falls Trail in Druid Hill Park | Photo by Side A Photography

Hello trail supporters, and welcome to the Baltimore blog! It was another great year for the Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, and we are excited to share our progress and plans for the future through this brand-new forum! Check back regularly for updates about our efforts to advance the growing, 35-mile trail network, including community meetings, new developments and other relevant content. But for our first post—here’s a review some of our major wins from 2018.

With a population of 1.5 million in Manhattan alone, New York has plenty of people willing to brave a cold and gusty winter day on the Hudson River Valley Greenway. | Photo by Scott Stark

Now, as 2019 gets underway, RTC’s state policy team has its antenna up for new opportunities to fund trails at the state level—and continue to build momentum for trail building nationwide. Below is a summary on the state of the states for trails, walking and biking.

Imagine what’s possible with a trail that connects the country.
Imagine ... pedaling across the entire country on a safe, seamless and scenic pathway—or walking a local trail that connects along historic routes. That vision will become a reality thanks to the Great American Rail-Trail, a signature project of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) and the organization’s most ambitious TrailNation™ project yet.

With views of the rugged Chugach Mountains and tidal inlets, Alaska’s Tony Knowles Coastal Trail offers a breathtaking experience unlike any other rail-trail in the country. Learn more in our Trail of the Month feature.

On or about Dec. 21, 2018, Eastern Idaho Railroad L.L.C. filed for the abandonment of 5 miles of track between Parker and Egin, Fremont County, Idaho. We are providing this information because it presents an opportunity to develop a real regional asset: a multi-use trail that can accommodate hikers, bikers, equestrians and other appropriate uses.